Article-feeding hopper.



E. NORDSTROM.

ARTICLE FEEDING HOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov, I. I9Ie.

2?69 5%@ Patented Aug. 20, IQII.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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E. NORDSTRM.

ARTICLE FEEDING HOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I, IQIs.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 nvm/woz Y @FAES T @FFME ELOF NORDSTROM, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN BAN STOPPER COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ARTICLE-FEEDIN G HOPPER.

Application filed November 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELor NORDSTROM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Article-Feeding Hoppers, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to article-feeding hoppers and has for'its primary object to provide improved means for arranging articles to be fed and for feeding said articles in a simple and eiicient manner. Particular objects of inventions will appear in the specification and be pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which exemplify my invention, and in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of an articlefeeding hopper constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail section on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the guide or guard ring.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the hopper, parts being broken away and parts shown in section;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line V-V, Fig. 4.

1n the embodiment of my invention shown on the drawings,v the hopper 1 is provided with a central bearing 2, within which is journaled a shaft 3 'having keyed thereto a pulley 4, by means of which said shaft 3 may be driven. A pin 5 serves to key the shaft 3 to the hub portion 6 of a rotary plate 7, which constitutes the bottom of the article-containing chamber in the hopper. The peripheral edge of the rotary plate 7 slides on an annular shoulder 8. Spaced from the bottom plate 7 is a fixed plate or annulus 9 which, in the present embodiment, is maintained in position by set screws 10. rlhe fixed ring or plate 9 is provided with an annular groove 11 which corresponds with an annular groove 12, in the rotary plate or annulus 13 which is connected by a yoke comprising arms 14 and a hub 15 to the rotary shaft 3. It will be seen therefore that the plate or annulus 13 preferably rotates at the same number of rotations as the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Serial No. 128,912.

bottom plate 7. As shown best in Fig. 2, the rotary annulus or plate 13 has a yieldable finger 16 secured thereto within the groove 12, said finger 16 being adapted to slide in the annular groove 11. Fixed ring or plate 9 is furthermore provided with a slot 17 which opens through the plate 9 in the bottom wall of the groove 11. As the shaft 3 rotates therefore, yieldable finger 16 slides over the bottom wall of the groove 11 until it reaches the slot 17 when it drops through on to the upper surface of one or more of the articles 18 which have been peripherally arranged on the bottom plate 7 in the manner to be presently explained. Byan inspection of Fig. 4, it will be seen that the slot 17 is arranged adjacent to a discharge outlet or passage 19 which projects from the hopper tangentially to the path of the articles on the rotary plate 7. Briefly explained, the operation of the hopper feeding mechanism is as follows:

Shaft 3 is rotated at sufficient speed to throw the articles 18 outwardly by centrifugal force. The fixed ring or plate 9 being arranged at suitable distance above the rotary bottom plate 7 to permit only oneV thickness of articles to pass therethrough, said articles become arranged about the periphery of the rotary plate 7 in passing in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4. From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the yieldable finger 16 is held away from the articles 18 during the greater portion of its angular movement. Upon reaching the slot 17, however, the rotary movement of the ring or plate 13 cooperates with the action of rotary plate 7 in forcing the disks into the discharge outlet of the passage 19.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, a hopper provided with a bottom rotary plate and a discharge outlet into which articles are fed from said bottom plate, a

Vaway from said articles said bottom plate, means vieldable on said member for engaging the articles to be ted, and means for holding` said yieldable means i duringportions ot the rotary movement oi said rotary member.

3. ln a machineI of the character described, a hopper provided With a bottom plate and a discharge gassa'e leading therefrom, a rotary plate arranged above said bottom plate, a yieldable linger carried by said rotary plate and adapted to engage articles rest-'ing on said bottom plate, and a fined plate interposed between said bottom plate and said rotary plate in the path or" said yieldable ringer, said interposed plate being,` provided with a slot corresponding to a portion ot the travel of said yieldable finger, f

Ll. ln a machine ot the character described, spaced rotary plates, one oil said plates being provided with means adapted to yieldably engage articles on the other of said plates, and means interposed between said plates and adapted to hold said yieldable means out or engagement with said articles during part ot the rotary travel ot said plates..

5. ln a machine ct the character described, spaced rotary plates, one ot said plates beingv adapted to carry articles to be ted, yieldable member mounted on the other plate and adapted to engage said articles, and means normally holding said yieldable member out ot engagement with said articles, said holding means being adapted to release said yieldable member during a portion ot its travel.

G. ln a machine oi the character described, a hopper for articles to be ted, said hopper being provided ivith a` dischar'e outlet, a rotary plate for carrying articles, a yieldable linger suitably mounted to travel above said rotary plate, said linger being adapted to move into and out of feeding engagement with articles on said rotary plate and means for controlling the .movement or said yieldable linger into out ot contact With said articles.

ln a machine ot the character described, a hopper for articles to be ted, said hopper being provided ivith a discharge outlet, a rotary plate for carrying1 articles, a yieldable ringer suitably mounted to travel above said rotary plate, said hnger being adapted to moye into and out of feeding engagement with articles on said rotary platen and means for controlling the movement or said yieldable linger into and out of contact vfith sans. articles, said controlling means comprising a plate spaced trom said` rotary plate and suitable posit n to intercept said yieldable i'inoer during` r said l for' carrying,` articles, a yieldsaid interposed plate being provided `with a slot arranged in the path ot said yieldable :ting-er.

9. ln a, machine of the character described, hopper for articles to be Jfed, said hopper being,- provided With a discharge outlet, a rotary plate :tor carrying articles, a yieldable linger suitably mounted to travel above said rotary plate, said finger being adapted to move into and out ot Jfeeding engagement with articles on said rotary plate, and a plate interposed between said yieldable finger and rotary plate to normally hold said linger out ot engagement With said articles, said interposed plate being,1 provided with a slot arranged in the path or" said yieldable tinger, and adjacent to said discharge outlet.

l0. ln a. machine ot the character described, a hopper having a depressed rotary bottom plate adapted to carry articles to be ted, a rotar f annulus above said rotary bottom plate, a ned annulus or plate arranged below said rotary annulus and spaced from said rotary bottom plate to accommodate said articles, said lined annulus being` provided vvith an arcuate slot, and a resilient linger carried by said rotary annulus and adapted to slide over said hired annulus and to engage said articles through said arcuate slot.

ll., ln a machine of the character described, a hopper provided with a depressed rotary bottom plate and a. discharge outlet to which articles are Jred troni said plate, a hired plate arranged above and spaced from said rotary 'bottom `plate to accommodate said articles, said lined plate being provided with a groove and a slot in the bottom Wall orr1 said groove, a rotar plate arranged above said lined plate and having a groove correspendingto the groove in said hired plat-e, and a yieldable member mounted on the upper rotary plate and in the registering; grooves or said lined plate and upper rotary plate, said yieldable member being adapted to periodically drop into engagement with said articles througll, said slot in the lined plate.

l2. ln a machine of the character described, a hopper provided ivitlra depressed rotary bottoni plate and a discharge out et to which articles are fed trom said plate, a arranged above and spaced trom bottom plate to accommodate said lined ate being; provided with slot in the bottom Wall oi' said groove, a rotary plate arranged above cally drop into engagement with said arsaid Iixed plate and having a groove oorrefieles through said slot in the fixed plate, Spondin to the groove in said xed plate, and said slot in the xed plate being arranged 10 a yelda 1e member mounted on the upper adjacent to the discharge Outlet of said hop- 5 rotary plate and n the registering grooves of per.

Said fixed plate and upper rotary plate, said yeldable member being adapted to perod- ELOF NORDSTROM. 

